The Silver Shield Part 16

SIR H. All women can't have Mrs. Blake's vivacity.

ALMA. Sir Humphrey! no more compliments to-day. You said just now I was the means of reconciling you to Ned--of teaching you that your son was always your son--that forgiveness was better than resentment. You can't pay me a greater compliment than that. It was more than I deserved. (_takes chair; both sit_)

SIR H. No compliment can be too great to pay to _you_.

ALMA. Take care, Sir Humphrey! You know what they say is the greatest a man can offer a woman!

SIR H. The one I ask to be allowed to offer now. I am in earnest, Mrs.

Blake. I haven't known you long; but there are women whom men learn to love more quickly than to recognise the rest. I have lived sixteen years of lonely life, because I have never met the woman worthy to succeed the mother of my son. It is no slight to her to offer you her place. I ask you to accept it without shame, because I feel that I could set you side by side without indignity to either. I could not love you more, nor could I love you less, than she who was the light and gladness of my life. (_takes ALMA'S hand_)

ALMA. Please say no more!

SIR H. Haven't I said enough? (_lets hand go_)

ALMA. Too much, Sir Humphrey. I mean more than I have any right to hear. (_rises, crosses to C._) I cannot marry you.

SIR H. (_half to himself_) I am refused! (_as if impossible to believe it_)

ALMA. The honour you have done me is too great to trifle with. I didn't care about the truth being known; but you have earned the right to know it. I have a husband! (_long pause_)

SIR H. (_with difficulty_) Living?

ALMA. I have no reason to suppose he's dead. (_crosses to SIR HUMPHREY_) Believe me when I say I should never have represented myself to be a widow--I should never have entered your house--if I had dreamt it would lead to this. You do believe me? (_offers hand_)

SIR H. (_shakes hands_) Yes.

ALMA. It was from no light motive I professed to be what I am not. It was because I wished to strip the memory of my husband from my heart as he has stripped his presence from my life.

SIR H. He left you?

ALMA. Do you care to know? (_sits R._) If you can listen to me I should like to tell you. I was a giddy girl when I was young--one who thought nothing of the past and little of the future. My husband was a serious sort of man--absorbed in his pursuit. I thought I was neglected, and--well, it's a humiliating thing to say, but I must say it--the attention I didn't get from him I accepted from others. I didn't doubt he loved me, but he didn't show it; and I determined that he should. At last I forced him to speak. He wasn't angry--he used no hard words--but he--he frightened me. I pretended not to care; but I was cured.

SIR H. (_who has grown more and more interested_) Go on.

ALMA. With one man I had gone too far to withdraw easily. I was obliged to write to him. It was rather a long letter. When I had written the first sheet I put it in my desk and went on with the next.

In the middle of it I was called away on some household matter, and when I returned that second sheet was gone.

SIR H. Your husband----

ALMA. Had gone also.

SIR H. Strange! Very strange! Can you remember what you wrote on it?

ALMA. Nothing he was ent.i.tled to resent. But from that day to this I haven't heard of him. I left Melbourne.

SIR H. Melbourne?

ALMA. I was determined to start life afresh and put an end to old a.s.sociations. I even went so far as to announce my death.

SIR H. You advertised your death?

ALMA. It was a wicked thing to do, but I did it. I took the name of Blake, and went on the stage.

SIR H. This is much more than strange. If you could find your husband----

ALMA. I've no wish to find him!

SIR H. But if it turned out there was some mistake--that he misunderstood you?

ALMA. There can be no mistake. No! I have done with him for ever. I could never forgive him.

SIR H. Then you don't love him?

ALMA. Yes, I do. That's why. (_rises_) And now you know my history, forgive _me_ and let me go.

SIR H. (_rises_) You mustn't go, Mrs. Blake. I can, perhaps, be of service to you. As for forgiveness, I have nothing to forgive. It isn't women's fault men fall in love with them; and men must bear their fate.

_Re-enter NED, L._

NED. (_crosses to ALMA_) I can't make out what's the matter with Lucy, but she won't come down. She's upset about something.

ALMA. Shall I go up to her? (_crosses to L._)

NED. I wish you would. You'll find out what's the matter, I'll be bound. Where's Dozey?

ALMA. (_at door, L._) Gone for a stroll, that's all.

NED. I hope he won't be long. It's nearly seven now.

ALMA. Don't alarm yourself. A clergyman is never late for dinner.

(_Exit, L. SIR HUMPHREY sits R. NED crosses to L._)

MRS. D. (_outside_) It's no use talking, Dionysius!

_Enter DR. and MRS. DOZEY, through window._

NED. Here they come.

MRS. D. I won't have it. This is the second time I've had to speak about it.

DR. Listen to reason!

MRS. D. I won't listen to reason. I won't listen to anything. It's obvious to everybody. (_to SIR HUMPHREY_) Even Sir Humphrey must have observed it.

SIR H. Observed what, Mrs. Dozey?

MRS. D. Why, Mrs. Blake's attentions to the Doctor!